Arrived this evening late from Shanghai, plan to begin with on the street and other interviews with students from Jinan University and the general citizenry. It was a long flight…… cooler here than in Shanghai, about midway between that region and Beijing.
There’s some Tsingsao beer cooling off behind the door.
Another piece of the setup added today, and had fun hanging out with a fellow northern Californian (hi to Stepfanie Atkinson from Mill Valley), even though she shoots Canon….
I ‘m planning to use this shoulder rig mostly for projects like documentary clips and abstracts, and certain travel applications. The Genus variable 8X ND will help a great deal with being able to use wide apertures in bright lighting conditions , therefore isolating subjects.
And my field audio gear finally found a home, the LowePro utility S&F bags.
To all: enjoy tomorrow, 4 July- my personal Independence Day, because that day in 1863 marked the Union victory at Gettysburg.
Basic Interview-Cinematography Video Setup
Camera 1
Nikon D5100, SanDisc SD cards, zoom lens
Color or Monochrome palette
Neutral to slight low angle, Rule of Thirds face placement
Audio Technica 88 WT wireless lapel dynamic omni microphone/ XLR input 1 or direct to camera
Talent files
Camera 2
Nikon D3s/ video bank, SanDisc CF cards, telephoto lens
Neutral angle
Sennheiser 400 MKE condenser supercardioid microphone/ XLR 2 with stereo cable , Zoom H4N audio recorder on 4 track mode/ optional Mono Mix to split levels (or direct to camera)
Interviewer files
Camera 3
Nikon D300s / video bank, Hoodman RAW CF cards, wide angle lens
Neutral angle
H4N w Rode Videomic Pro condenser supercardioid microphone,stereo extension cable (or direct to camera)
Interaction files
Other:
Microphone stand/s
Lighting
Slate
Zoom wired remote for H4N, AC adapter
Headphones
Boom/s
When separate audio and video is desired and they are to be combined in post, the Zoom H4N is the ticket.When I want to have all AV files auto-synched in -camera, each mic will be directly connected to each camera with a stereo extension cord if needed.
For another camera angle I can also use the GoPro, especially easy with the tripod adapter. That camera as of the present doesn’t allow split audio.
So far, a snowstorm and then overcast, with some sun and a lot of fantastic scenery being revealed… it really feels like a vacation and I’m enjoying every day more up here. Heading back Saturday and may get to Sequoia before returning to work.
I’ll do some editing before then and may post something in the next few days. Go X-Men!
I plan to put my D5100 and microphones, Zoom H4N and other video gear to work and do some backpacking, exploring the possibilities with my GoPro wearable camera and not spending one minute thinking about medicine or radiology!
Continuing preparations to travel to China in mid-July, spending time in several cities including Nanjing and Shanghai and documenting the experience of a foreigner seeing the country for the first time. Probably I’ll stick to noodles for the whole trip…..
The preliminary experience with the upgrade to Adobe Premiere Elements 9 has been generally very good, I think this is a practical video editing software option for many people at an intermediate to moderately advanced level. And the price -less than $100 with rebate- is definitely right.
I’m delighted to find that this camera’s small and light form has already made my videography life much easier. I can mount it on a boom and maneuver in a way which would be much less practical with D3 -sized cameras. The battery life in normal temperatures has proven to be more than adequate for my needs, noting that I carry at least one spare. Availability of very high-capacity SDXC cards which are compatible with this camera allows for realistic application of its longer clip recordings, up to 20 minutes.
Clearly its low-light capacity is not in the same class as the D3s. I don’t use its viewfinder much, not only because it seems inferior to the FX models but the articulated screen works very well- and I can use the same monitor loupes with all 3 HD-DSLR’s as they’re 3-inch diagonal size.
Some remaining potential issues for my kind of use: how does the battery behave in very cold weather? What about the durability of its shutter? More testing will tell.
We’re making some headway getting images into the Gallery there, seeking
So far I have these observations:
– The Selective Color and Color Sketch Effects modes seem most appealing to me, partly because I enjoy their looks and partly because, like the others, they can be applied either in capture (with Live View) or retouching JPEG’s already shot.
-Having native ISO to 6400 available is expected to be very useful for my style of shooting- both stills and video.
-Ergonomics seem very good, although distinctly different in some ways from my pro bodies. I find that the button placements are generally very intuitive given the presense of the articulated screen and have been easy to use. I like the operation of the LV lever, it would be nice if there were a concentric video button as with the D7K – a minor issue.
– I intend to work with this camera mounted to a Matthews or Manfrotto SuperClamp, since it allows remote triggering.
-The layout of the left panel output access ports is appealing. Having a GPS-ready camera this size is exciting and like the new Nikon ME-1 microphone, the GP-1 doesn’t have an internal battery (to fail or corrode). I’m going to look for that microphone and evaluate its features as soon as available.
– Shutter lag is definitely much greater that with my pro bodies and AF is slower to much slower, very much depending on lens choice. I ‘ll experiment more with my upper-end FX lenses in coming weeks to evaluate how much of a factor that may be, should I try shooting limited sports with this camera.
– The AC adapter has eliminated battery life as a factor in the studio , or where a generator is available.
-I’m definitely going to scarf that 12-24mm f/4 DX from Grant to use in the backcountry…..
William Hooks
maximpactphotography 